Step 17: Add the 9v Battery Clip

Step 18: Find a Fresh 9v Battery and Have Fun!

...but not too much fun. The ability to blast TVs on and off from a great distance should be used with care. I am not responsible for what you use thi...

A while ago I posted my $3.50 DIY TV-B-Gone Micro, which was great and all but didn't have near enough juice. The TV-B-Gone SHP is supposed to be able to turn of TVs from 100 meters away, but cost $50. So for about $5, I made a clone of one that seems to work pretty close to that limit. It's also very tiny compared to the commercial one.

Technically, because TV-B-Gone is a brand name, this is a "TV-B-Gone clone."

I used an ATtiny 85v as the "brains" of this, programmed with Adafruit's original code. It runs off of a 9v battery with a 5v regulator to power the microcontroller. The the LED array has 12 infrared LEDs in it, and the microcontroller is connected to a transistor that can power the whole array. The 12 LEDs blast out almost every TV on-off code, allowing you to turn pretty much any TV on or off. A 3mm green LED blinks between each code to show that it's working. When the battery is removed it is significantly smaller than the original TV-B-Gone, allowing for easy hiding.

I'm not at home atm so I can't take a picture. The only changes respect the circuit posted in this instructable are the way the LEDs are connected, in this case they're all in parallel, with a single resistor for all. I know each LED should have it's own resistor to spread the current evenly, but I was running out of space. Oh, yes, the transistor is a Darlington type, BD159.

Hey man, I'm fairly new to this website and also pretty new to embedded electronics or whatever you want to call it. Is there any way I can talk with you like in a PM or Skype or whatever? I kinda need some help starting up, like what I should buy and what not. Anyway, this message wasn't totally aimed on you, but rather to anyone on here that has some experience. But your comment is pretty recent compared to alot others and you seem to have a working on!

So yeah, I kinda would understand if you didn't want to help me out in your time, but I won't ask too much and it would totally be so awesome!

Also this sticky of the /ohm/ electronics general on 4chan might help you and other begginers out.

>I'm new to electronics, where do I get started?

There are several good books that are commonly recommended for beginners and those wanting to learn more. There are also plenty of good Youtube channels that teach about the basics as well as advanced concepts. The best way to get involved in electronics is just to make stuff. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Take something apart or build something you find cool on one of the many electronics websites.

>What books are there?

Beginner:

Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims IIIMake: Electronics by Charles PlattHow to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic by Michael Jay Greier

Intermediate:

All New Electronics Self-Teaching Guide by Harry Kybett, Earl BoysenPractical Electronics for Inventors by Paul Scherz and Simon Monk

http://www.jameco.com/https://www.sparkfun.com/http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/http://www.allelectronics.com/http://futurlec.com/http://www.ladyada.net/library/procure/hobbyist.htmlhttp://www.mouser.comhttp://www.alliedelec.comhttp://www.newark.comAnd sometimes even just ebay.

>What circuit sim software do you use?

This mostly comes down to personal preference. These are the most common ones though:

You guys are among the highest ranks of genius that you can find on the internet to me, I know a bit of what you're talking about, but other than that, it's all just numbers and 1100010110 Illuminati type stuff!

If i were to change the ir LED assembly to say 5w 940nm High Power Infrared IR LED or 2, how might i need to change the circuit? if you do not have the spare time or if this is a complete rebuild i totally understand if you cannot do this. Thanks!

Personally, I think dead bug circuits are a beautiful form of art when done correctly. But if you insist, just look at the schematic I posted and you should be able to figure out a decent board layout. If you have any questions about specifics, feel free to ask.

Is there any way I could buy a pre-made one of this DIY TV-B-Gone SHP, I'm really keen on this but I can't get my hands on a programmer so I can't make one myself. And how much would it cost to ship to New Zealand if possible?

I do not promote smoking cigarettes...however, this is my inconspicuous (on the cheap) enclosure for my SHP clone. I used a snap action momentary switch, replaced the visual LED with an old cell phone vibrating motor. I haven't field tested it yet but I turned off my living room TV from about 35 feet away WITHOUT direct line of sight. I was pretty impressed. Big thanks to DARK SPONGE for the instructable, very easy to follow, well written and great pictures...not to mention the eagle files!

Dang, that looks pretty awesome. The limit switch blends perfectly and the vibrating motor was a brilliant idea. Do you use a transistor to power the motor or is it being driven directly from the microcontroller pin? I don't know how much current they draw my initial thought is it could cause the micro to reset or shut down if driven without a transistor. You're welcome, and thanks for the pics!

I connected the motor directly to physical 7, doesn't seem to be an issue...yet. I used it today to turn off every TV I could find on a college campus, one of which was being watched by the person I was talking to, we were the only people in the room and within 3 feet of each other...he was none the wiser, a bit confused/annoyed but had no idea I was turning off his TV.

I just bought my arduino Uno Rev 3 and I have it connected to my computer. The blink test works. But I am having issues figuring out how to build the programing board. How do you know where to plug in the leads coming from the board onto the Arduino? I spent a good time searching and reading different forums and came up empty handed. Your assistance in any way possible would be greatly appreciated as I am a novice taking my first stab at micro-controllers. Thanks

If I remember correctly Adafruit sells just the pre-programed chip if one doesn't have the means to program the chip or is too lazy to bother...

(Checks).... Yes I was correct, though it costs $5 USD, though there doesn't seem to be any shipping cost (just using their shipping calculator)...

I know one can use an Arduino in ISP mode, though I am note sure if it has the capabilities to change the ATtiny's "fuses" ... If it is possible I would love to see someone write the code for it... (I'm not quite proficient in coding to do it myself)

The preprogrammed chip sold by Adafruit has slightly different firmware that uses an PNP transistor so this circuit would not work. Because I'm using an obsolete version, I had to flash the code myself, but I posted a revised schematic in step 20 of my other instructable for using the new chip. I'm pretty sure that any ISP programmer (including Arduino) can do fuses though avrdude without modification, but don't take my word for it.

I always love looking at these "dead bug" style electronics projects. Great instructable with lots of detailed photos. Thank you!

I keep thinking of making a TVBGone ballcap, with the LEDs in the brim and a switch on the back. Would there need to be any modifications made if the LEDs were at a distance from the rest of the circuit, say 12" of wire or so?

Thanks a lot! If the LEDs were at any reasonable distance from the circuit, it should not make any difference at all. At larger (tens of feet or more) distances you might notice some brightness decreases, but that's not much to worry about. Good luck!

About This Instructable

Bio:Hi! I've loved electronics and electricity for as long as I can remember, and electric projects are something I do in my free time for fun. Everything I've learned about electricity is either from exp...read more »